Cold weather stuff. And selective reporting.

On Monday up Lark Hill for first time this year. The surface of the track seemed smoother, less lumpy, at least at the lower section, but this was probably because top soil has washed down to fill hollows.

 

When we returned home, we got the bikes out of the shed when they had been stored to make room in the kitchen while we had loads of people around over Christmas. The idea was that my bike should be ready for me to cycle to the market today, weather permitting. 

Yesterday was cold and dry, with a bit of light snow sometime in the evening and again in the night. This morning it was bright and clear. However, I looked out at the snowy pavements and chickened out of cycling to Uppermill. 

 

The gritters had been out and the main road looked fine but the pavements and driveways looked very slippery. So I put my big boots on and walked along the Donkey Line. 

 

On the Donkey Line I met one of the highland cattle who live in the field at our end of the bridle path. This is the second time I have known them to make a bid for freedom. One of them remained sensibly in the field but the other clearly wanted to go adventuring. He was spooked by a dog whose owner was trying to phone someone to escort the beast back to his field. They look quite frightening with their bighorns but in fact they seem quite mild-mannered.

I just missed one bus back from Uppermill with my spoils. So I stopped for a chat with a stall holder, bought some bread and fish, which had not been on my plan, and eventually caught the next bus home.

 

Later in the day we walked up the hill to Dobcross. 

 

The pavements were not too bad but the road itself looked positively glassy in places. Half way up we came across a rather crumpled car. Fortunately there seemed to be no serious injuries. 

Skipping through social media, I found this post which must have been from Tuesday, I think:-

“Last night outside parliament there was a huge rally demonstrating against the government’s new anti-strike bill, that will effectively turn workers into slaves. 

None of it was shown on the BBC - our “public” broadcaster. 

Jeremy Corbyn, Mick Lynch and Zarah Sultana were among those who spoke at the rally (Corbyn and Sultana had to rush back to parliament to vote against the bill). 

Not a single member of Labour’s front bench attended the rally to show Labour’s support for the workers, and Mick Lynch really called them out on it…”

So it goes!

And here’s a bit of interesting language - a new verb “to sunset”, as in: The Labour party fears basic rights, including maternity protections and holiday entitlement, could be swept away under the government’s plans to “sunset” 4,000 laws derived from Brussels by the end of this year.

Hmm!

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!